Fitting In
by TwoCentsForFree
Summary: Modern AU. A look at Theodosia Burr's relationship with the Hamilton family throughout the years. Eventual Theo/Philip. Companion piece to my story "Share."
1. Chapter 1

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 **A/N: I received an overwhelmingly positive response to my story "Share," during which several of you asked for a continuation. So here it is! The chapters in this story are more like moments in time and won't be in any particular chronological order, though some may end up following each other.**

 **I wanted to mostly highlight the relationship between Theo and the Hamilton women, as well as Philip, but all the rest of the Hamilkids, Alex, and Aaron will be around, as well.**

 **Finally, I want to dedicate this story to my mother-in-law, Kathy, and sister-in-law, Jenny for making me feel like one of the family long before I officially joined up.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own**.

 _Fitting In_

 _Modern AU. A look at Theodosia Burr's relationship with the Hamilton family throughout the years. Eventual piece to my story "Share."  
_

 **Prologue: Sprinkles**

At last, the day of the ice cream social arrived. Theodosia Burr watched as the other mothers came and picked up their daughters for the event. For a moment, she wondered if her mom was coming at all.

"Don't worry, Theo," Philip Hamilton whispered, "she'll be here soon." Much to the child's relief, Eliza Hamilton walked into the kindergarten classroom a few moments later.

"Ready to go?" the woman asked, smiling.

"Yeah!" The girl started to run down the hallway. "Let's go!" Eliza laughed and called out to her.

"Slow down a bit, Theo. I can't go quite as fast as you because I have little James with me, see?" The three-week-old infant was nestled in the small, strange-looking backpack.

"Oh yeah." Theodosia had forgotten all about Philip's new little brother. "Think James will want some ice cream too?" she asked, coming back to walk alongside Eliza.

"I think he's too small just yet. But what kind will you get?"

"With hot fudge, and whipped cream, and sprinkles!"

The ice cream was set up buffet style, with the attendees able to make their own sundaes. True to her word, Theodosia brought back a bowl that was more toppings than ice cream. The pair sat down at one of the tables, and Eliza began chatting with a few of the other women and tending to the baby.

"How nice of Philip to share you with little Theodosia," one of the mothers said. "You must be very proud of him for being so mature and selfless." The little girl frowned. The lady wasn't wrong; Philip _had_ offered to have his mother attend the party so his best friend-who had no mother of her own-wouldn't be left out of the fun...but all the same, it bothered her. She wasn't really hungry anymore.

"Oh yes," Eliza answered, "I am proud of Philip. I'm proud of all of my children. And I'm very excited to be here with Theo." She glanced over to see the five-year-old distractedly swirling the spoon inside the ice cream, looking quite sad. "Hey, if you don't eat your ice cream, it'll melt." No answer.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? Are you sick?" Eliza reached over and felt Theodosia's forehead, but the girl wrenched away.

"I wanna go home," she mumbled. "Don't want ice cream anymore."

"What? How come?"

"You're Philip and Angie and AJ and James' mom," she stated. "Not mine." The woman nodded. "So I should go home. I don't have a mom." Eliza drew the girl in for a hug, cursing Aaron Burr's penchant for observing and internalizing, which poor Theodosia had obviously inherited.

"Yes, that's true. But I like spending time with you, too. You and Philip are best friends, so that makes you kind of like part of the family. Even if I'm not exactly your mom, see?" The child shrugged. _Time for a new approach_. "You sure like sprinkles, huh?" Eliza asked, gesturing to the quickly melting bowl of ice cream.

"Yeah, I like sprinkles."

"Okay. So think of it like an ice cream sundae. Mr. Hamilton, Philip, Angie, AJ, James, and me are like an ice cream sundae with no sprinkles on it. Still good, but sprinkles make everything better, don't they?" Theodosia nodded.

"Yeah."

"So then that means that you're like the sprinkles, Theo. You fit right in with our family and make it even better than it was before. And that's why I'm so excited to be here with you right now. You're important to me, just like Philip and his brothers and sister, understand?" The girl sighed in relief. So the woman really _was_ glad to be there, after all.

"Mrs. Hamilton?" she asked.

"What?"

"I wanna stay and finish the ice cream." Eliza nodded, smiling.

"I thought you might say that." Theodosia knew that she'd never look at sprinkles the same way again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Usual disclaimer applies. Also, I can't get enough of lil' Philip and Theodosia. :)**

 **Don't forget to drop a review. :) :)**

 **Chapter 1: Valentine**

"Daddy?" Alexander looked up from the newspaper and coffee to see his son tugging at his arm.

"What's up, Phil?"

"What do girls like?" The man almost choked; of all the questions he would expect his six-year-old to ask, this certainly wasn't one of them.

"Well...uh...why're you asking, kiddo?" The boy shrugged.

"We're havin' a party at school for Valentime's Day, and I don't think Theo will like the race car ones I'm givin' all my other friends." Alex found himself nodding. Of course the girl would get something special.

"Some girls really like jewelry, like necklaces and stuff. In fact-" The elder Hamilton threw a glance over his shoulder. "Wanna see what I got your Mom?" Philip nodded enthusiastically, gasping when his father left the room and returned with a gold, heart-shaped locket.

"Wow..."

"Nice, huh? It has her name on the front of it. And check this out." Alexander gently pried open the clasp, and the locket opened to reveal a small picture of him and his wife together.

"Cool!" the boy exclaimed, "I wanna get Theo one of those! It's _waaaaay_ better than a race car!" The man laughed.

"Then start saving your allowance, bud. These things cost quite a bit. But for now, maybe you can make a nice valentine." Philip's eyes lit up.

"Yeah!" One last hug from Dad, and the child dashed off to find his mother. If he was going to make Theodosia a picture necklace as nice as the one he'd seen, he was going to need some supplies.

Philip found Eliza sifting through some old photo albums.

 _Perfect_. "Whatcha doin', Mom?" She sighed happily.

"Oh, I was just looking at pictures. These are from when Daddy and I got married."

"Can I see too?" he asked, and Eliza made room for him on her lap. Page after page was filled with photographs from the Hamilton wedding; everyone looked so happy.

"Your Dad was so handsome," the woman declared. "And you'll be just as handsome someday." Philip continued to flip pages, and recognized one of the photos as the same one inside Alexander's locket. He had a purpose.

"Mama, can we look at more pictures? I wanna see the ones at the beach." She nodded.

"Okay." And still another album contained pictures of the previous summer's trip to the lakeshore. Alexander had invited Aaron Burr and his daughter to join them for the day, and the candid photos of the two families hanging out always made the woman smile. Philip tore through the album until he found exactly what he needed: A photo of himself and Theodosia standing proudly beside a large sandcastle they'd constructed.

"Can I have that one?" he asked, sweetly, using the big puppy-dog eyes that he knew she couldn't resist.

"Sure, but what do you want it for?" Before he could register the action, the boy heard himself blurt out,

"I wanna make Theo a picture necklace like the one Daddy got you." A cough from behind startled the child, and he looked up to see his father leaning against the bedroom doorframe, smirking.

"You heard nothing," the man said to his wife, and Philip knew then what he'd done.

"Oops..."

"C'mere, you little squealer." Alexander scooped his son up into his arms and dove onto the bed, holding the boy down and tickling him mercilessly.

"Daddy... _stop_..." Philip begged in between gales of laughter. The man shook his head, giggling too.

"No way, pal. This is what you get for spilling the beans." Philip finally managed to wriggle free, and both he and his father were now breathless from all the fun. Alex tousled his son's hair. "Now go make your valentine." The couple watched him scamper away.

"Valentine?" Eliza asked. Her husband shrugged.

"Apparently, little paper lockets make better valentines for first-grade girls than race cars." Eliza nodded.

"I guess I can see that."

Patience wasn't little Philip Hamilton's strong suit. His father said he had 'no chill.' His mother said he was exactly like his father. The boy was relieved, then, when the teacher told the children to go ahead and pass out the valentine cards. The rule was that every student had to get one. He saved Theodosia's for last. She was his best friend, after all.

"Hey, Theo," he greeted. "What kinda valentimes did you give out?" The girl briefly looked up from sorting all the cards she'd been given.

"Disney princesses," came the reply. "I gave you Ariel 'cause it has Sebastian on it, too. And you think Sebastian's cool." Philip vaguely felt a blush creep into his cheeks. Evidently, she'd thought of him, too. "What'd you pass out?"

"Race cars!" Theodosia frowned. She'd reached the bottom of the bag.

"I didn't get a race car." He nodded.

"I know. I got you somethin' else, 'cause you're a girl. And my friend." He handed her the small, yellow heart. One side of it bore her full name, with the _s-i-a_ smushed up against the edge (Philip had started writing it in the middle, thinking he'd have enough room. _Oops_.) On the back was glued the photo he'd taken from home. Underneath, words: _From Philip_. A small hole had been made in the top with a piece of yellow yarn threaded through it, making it a proper necklace.

"Wow! Thanks, Phil! It's pretty!" He smiled satisfactorily.

"My Dad gave my Mom one, too," the boy said. "Now you match!"

"Yay!" Theodosia proudly wore her special necklace for the rest of the day, and would continue to wear it long after Valentine's Day had passed.


End file.
